Low density cements for use in cementing operations

Abstract

A cement mix suitable for blocking or plugging an abandoned pipeline or back filling a mine shaft, tunnel or excavations contains (i) Portland cement or a mixture of at least two components selected from Portland cement, fly ash, slag, silica fume, gypsum, bentonite and limestone; (ii) diatomaceous earth; (iii) zeolite, (iv) an aluminum silicate and (v) an inorganic salt accelerator. The cement mix may further contain an alkali metasilicate and / or alkali silicate. A cementitious slurry, formulated from the cement mix, may have a density less than or equal to 1500 kg / m3, and exhibits good compressive strength.

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60 / 844,459, filed on Sep. 14, 2006.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to cement mixes and low density cementitious slurries prepared therefrom which are useful in the blocking, plugging or back filling of conduits such as pipelines, mine shafts, tunnels and excavations, including hydrocarbon recovery conduits as well as conduits used in the recovery of minerals, copper, potash, coal, copper, potassium chloride, etc. The cement mixes and slurries are further useful in cementing operations within subterranean formations of a well.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Various techniques have been developed for blocking, plugging and filling of conduits used in the recovery of materials such as hydrocarbons, potash, coal, copper, potassium chloride, minerals, etc. Such techniques become necessary when mine shafts, tunnels or excavations, as well as pipelines used in the transportation of produced fl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]In addition, the cement mix may contain a lightweight density modifying agent, such as ceramic spheres, glass spheres, plastic spheres, perlite, gilsonite and coal. The cement mix may further contain a foaming agent

Problems solved by technology

Such techniques become necessary when mine shafts, tunnels or excavations, as well as pipelines used in the transportation of produced fluids, are abandoned, flooded, clogged or otherwise no longer useful.

Often, however, the grout, once mixed, becomes overly viscous, and tends to compress and cause friction and back-pressure when pumped through the conduit.

Such difficulties are often even more pronounced as it becomes necessary to move the grout over great distances, as from the surface to an injection point far inside a tunnel.

Another problem encountered with conventional grouting systems during the filling of conduits stems from the inability of the grout to be delivered continuously at a high volume rate over sustained periods.